Switch



Dec. 8, 1931. A. G. STEINMAYER ET AL.

SWITCH 2 sheets-sheet l Filed sept. 12, 1929 'Ju/7 f5 f Mimo/L Dec. 8,1931. A. G. sTElNMAYl-:R ET AL 1,834,984

SWITCH Y Filed sept. 12, 1929 2 sheets-sneer' 2 Patented Dec. 8,v 1931,r

ALWIN G`. `srr1NMAYnIt, 0F MILWAUxEn 'Ann wiLLrAM n. KRUEGnIzv,'oFsourir WAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AssIGNonsroLINE MATERIAL eoMPANxoF SOUTH. MIL-WAUKTE, WIsCON'SiN; A CORPORAHQNOE DELAWARE SWITCH .Application` ledSeptemberA 12, 1929. Serial No. 392,128.

Y Y This invention: relates to certainA new and useful improvements inswitches and yrefers more particularly to a Switch adapted for use with'electric flush valves. i y

.Valvesof this nature are usually operated by a solenoid which requiresbut momentary energization to effect the opening of kthe valve,andheretofore the switches keontrolling the solenoid circuit, which,are'usually actuated'by a push button, have been of such constructionthat thel solenoid would remain energized, and theA water wouldAcontinue to iow'through the rvalve, as long' asthe'lpush button washeldin. For obvious reasons this construction was ,extremelyobjectionable, and therefore, it is yan obj ect of this'invention n toprovide aswiteh by which a circuit may be maintained closed for apredetermined time only, irrespective button. v Y Another objectofthisinvention resides in ytheprovision of a switch ofthe character described which makes itnecessaryfto release the push but-ton actuatorbefore the circuit can be again closed. i l l' A more specific object ofthis invention resides inthe provision Vof spaced `stationary contactsadapted to1be'bridged`by a movable ofthe positionof the .contacter whichis moved .to contact making position by depressing a ypush .button andwhich isA returned to normal inoperative` position irrespective of theposition 7of the push button actuator.

vAnd a further object of this invention re-` sides in the provisionof aswitch of the character described having means for retardjing the returnof the contactor to. circuit breaking position; y l

g Withfthe aboveandV other `objects in viewV which` will appear as thedescription proceeds, our invention resides inthe novel construction,combinationand arrangement of parts substantiallyA as hereinafterldescribed I :to

:and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it `beingunderstood that such changes inthe precise embodiment of: the

hereindisclosed invention may be made as come Within the scope of theclaims. ..1 In `the accompanying drawings, wefhave` illustrated onecompletefexamplegof. the physvcoi-iftac'ts 7 and 8 respectivelg inclinedforward Walls .24.

Fig; iA is av cross'seetional viewtaken through `Figure y1 onthe planeof the yline p Referringxnow more,V particularly to the accompanyingdrawings in which like num` erals'designate likeparts throughout thesev.-

preferably formed of. porcelain vor .other suitable insulating material,hollow at itsbottom and provided ,with an upwardly extending boss 6adjacent one end.

is a transverse vsecti'nial view the plane of the feral-views,th'enuineral representsl abasev y Mounted on the upper.` face ofthe-`boss 6 is a pair of stationary spaced contacts 7 fand 8 Awhich aresecured imposition byiterminals 9 and 10 iixed to thebase by. studs 11passed through suitable apertures to receivenuts 12 at their lower ends.The terminals 9 andlO are adaptedy to have conductors 13 andlliconnected therewithwhich lead tothe circuit adapted to be closed by theswitch,'and are electrically bridged to close the circuit uponengagementA of a movable contactor'l with spring fing-ers 16 and 17projected .from the l The contactor 15 is mova mounted in a manner to belater described and engagesl the spring fingers 176 and 17 toelectrically .bridge vthem'V upon depression cfa push button 18,.

The means for vmountingk and guiding the .movement Vof the-contractorcomprises a channelshaped frame 19 iixedcei'itrally to the top oftliebases byv screws 20, its vertical sides 21 being cutaway as at 22 attheir ends adjacent the boss 6. The out away portionsv 22 Y havesubstantially vertical rear wal1s123and `The contacter' 15 consistsyofia transverse rod 25 having an enlarged central portion26, t .K

and normally rests upon the horizontal bottom 27 of the cut awayportions 22 in the vertical sides of the stationary frame 19. A pair ofcontractile springs 28 maintains the contactor 15 in normal circuitbreaking position with the opposite ends of its rod 25 resting on thebottoms 27 of the cut away portions at the juncture of the rear walls 23thereof, one end of the springs 28 being connected with the extremeouter ends ofthe rod 25 and their other ends being connected with afixed transverse rod 29 mounted in aligned apertures in the verticalsides 21 of the stationary frame. v

The movement of the push button 19 is imparted to the contactor 1-5through a substantially U shaped movable frame 30 slidable betweenthe'vertical sides of the stationary frame 19 and guided in its movementby the transverse rod 29 passing through an elongated aperture 31 in thesides 32 of the U shaped movable frame and extending throu fh the closedend 33 thereof, and by having t e outermost ends of its sides 32provided with outstruck tongues 34 which engage in elongated apertures35 in the vertical sides of the stationary frame beneath the cut awayportions 22. The push button 18 is connected with the frame 30 by a stud36 threaded in a suitable aperture in the end 33 of the frame where itis secured by a lock nut 37.

The stud 36, prior to being engaged with a frame 30, also slidablypasses through an aperture in the vertical leg of an angle bracket 38fixed to the base by a screw 39, and an expansive spring 40 is connedbetween the bracket'and the button 18 to normally yieldably maintain thebutton and the frame 30 in inoperative position.

The upper edges of the forward portion of the frame30 are stepped as at41 and its extreme forward edges 42 engage in back of the rod 25 of'the' contactor when the parts are iny normal inoperativeposition,rwhereby depression of the button 18 and the consequent forwardmovement of the frame 30 moves the contactor forward along thehorizontal bottom of the cut away portions 22. Continued movement of theframe 30 by the button 18 causes the contacter to ride up on theinclined edges of the cut away portions into engagement with the springfingers 16 and 17 tothus electrically bridge them.

As the movement of the frame 30 is completed, and the contactor rides upon the inclined edges 24 it also moves upwardly along the extremeforward edges 42 of the frame 30 until the axis of the contactor isabove the plane of the cut away portions 41 at which time the springs 28draw the contactor rearwardly and out of engagement with the springlingers 16 and 17. If the button 18 is maintained in its depressedposition the rod'25 of the contactor follows along the top edge ofthestepped portion 41 of the frame until it engages the vertical rearwalls 23 of the cut away portions 22 in the main frame at which time itwill be disengaged from the adjacent ends of the spring lingers.

To retard the return ofthe contactor to normal circuit breaking positionby the action of the springs 28 sufficiently long to maintain thecircuit closed for the desired length of time, a dash pot structure isincorporated, which includes a cylinder 43 having a central web 44extended from its closed end to be connected with the enlarged portion26 of the contactor. Cooperating with the cylinder 43 is a piston 45from the outer end of which a lug 46 extends to pivotally connect thepiston with the stationary transverse rod 29. The closeness of the fitof the piston in the cylinder determines the effectiveness of the dashpot and thus governs the time required to return the contactor to normalcircuit breaking position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings it will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art to whichour invention appertains that we provide a novel switch which isparticularly adapted to electric flush valves and the like as it opensits circuit independent of the push button actuator making it impossibleto maintain the solenoid circuit closed by holding the push button in.

vWhat we claim as our invention is:

1. In a switch of the character described, a stationarycontact, acontactor movable to engagement with the stationary contact, means forguiding the movement of the contactor, an yactuator for moving thecontactor, means whereby the guide means for the contactor breaks theoperative connection between the contactor and the actuator, and meansfor movingthe contactor out of engagement with the stationary contactupon breaking of the operative connection between the actuator and thecontactor irrespective of 'the position of the actuator.

2. In a switch of the character described, a stationary contact, amovable contactor engageable with the stationary contact, guide meansfor guiding the movement of the contactor, yieldable means normallymaintaining the contactor in inoperative position, and an actuatoroperatively connected with the contactor for moving the same along itsguide means into engagement with the stationary Contact, said guidemeans being arranged to break the operative connection between theactuator and the contactor after the contactor is engaged with thestationary contact, whereby the yieldable means is free to return Athecontactor to its normal inoperative position independent of the positionof the actuator.

3.. In aI switch of the character described, a stationary contact, a`contactor movable into engagement with the stationary contact, a

frame forming a guide-way for the'movement of the contactor, meansyieldably tending to maintain the contactor in inoperative position atall times, an actuator movable in the frame and engageable with thecontactor to move the same along said guide-way to engagement with thestationary contact,

and said actuator being soI formed as to become disengaged from thecontactor after initial engagement of the contactor with the stationarycontact, to release the energy of the means tending to maintain thecontactor in inoperative position whereby the contactor is disengagedfrom the stationary contact irrespective of the position of theactuator.

t. In a switch ofthe character described, a stationary contact, amovable contactor engageable with the stationary contact, means forguiding the movement of the contactorN and including an incline, meansnormallyT yieldably tending to maintain the contactor at the bottom ofthe incline, an actuator for pushing the contactor upwardly along theincline to engagement with the stationary contact, and meansfor movingthe contactor out of engagement with the stationary contactupondisengagement of its part from the abutment.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto I aiXed our signatures. y Y

` ALWIN G.' STEINMAYER.

WILLIAM E. KRUEGER.

contact, andthe actuator being of such construction that the movement ofthe contactor along the `incline disengages the contactor from theactuator and releases the energy of the yieldingvmeans, whereby thecontactor is moved out of engagement with the stationary contactindependent of the position of the actuator. Y y Y 5. In an electricswitch including a stationary contact and a movable contactor engageabletherewith, an actuator, an abutment 'carried by said actuator andengageable with fa contactor carried partV to transmit movement of theactuator to thecontactor, means for guiding the movable contactorintoengagement with the stationary contact, and

means for yieldably urging the contactor outv of engagement with thestationary contact,

said guiding means moving the contactor lcarried part out of engagementwith the abutment to free the contacter for movement out of engagementwith the stationary con tact by said yieldable means. n

6. In an electric switch of the character described, a stationary framehaving spaced walls, a stationary contact, a movable contactorengageable with the stationary contact, an actuator movable between thelspaced n walls, an abutment on the actuator and engageablewith acontactor carried part for as the contactor rides up the inclined4 guidemeans into engagement with the stationary

